The pope said the Catholic Church should not be judged by modern standards over sexual abuse scandals as he refused to answer awkward questions in a carefully choreographed press conference on board the papal plane yesterday.

Heading home from a four-day tour of the Baltics, the pope's spokesman said Francis would only take questions about the trip despite a bombshell report revealing that 3,700 children had been sexually assaulted by priests in Germany.

He did eventually get to the thorny topic and admitted that historic abuse by clerics in several countries was 'monstrous.'

But he insisted the Church should not be judged by modern standards because attitudes towards abuse, which he said happens not just in the Church but in society generally, have changed dramatically over the years.

The pope said the Catholic Church should not be judged by modern standards over the sexual abuse scandal. Pictured: A gust of wind blows Pope Francis' mantel as he leads the Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican

The Pope (pictured in St Peter's square today) admitted that historic abuse by clerics in several countries was 'monstrous'

Pope Francis speaks with the media onboard a plane during his flight back from Tallinn

'In olden times, these things were covered up, they were even covered up in homes, when an uncle raped a niece, when a father raped his children,' he said.

'It was covered up because it was an enormous shame. That was the mentality in the last century.

He cited the example of the death penalty, which the Vatican applied until the late 19th century: 'Then the moral conscience grows,' he said.

Heading home from a four-day tour of the Baltics, the pope's spokesman said Francis would only take questions about the trip

Earlier in the conference, an Austrian journalist who tried to ask about the shocking abuse was shut down

Earlier in the conference, an Austrian journalist who tried to ask about the shocking abuse in Germany was shut down.

Pope Francis told him: 'I will respond, but first questions about the trip. This is the rule. But, it will be the first question after the trip.'

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But when questions about the tour were over, the pope avoided being quizzed by announcing: 'I would like to tell you some things on some points of the trip that I have experienced with a special strength.'

The Pope said instances of abuse dropped in recent years because the Church took action against perpetrators.

Abuse victims slam German Church over 'ridiculously small' payouts

A damning report released in Germany on Tuesday showing that almost 3,700 minors - mostly boys - were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

The German Catholic Church apologised for the abuse, saying the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

But campaigners and victims have been left furious by 'ridiculous' payouts.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference and Trier Bishop gives a press conference to present the results of the study

Matthias Katsch, who was sexually abused when he was 13, said he was outraged that the German Church - the richest in the world because it takes eight per cent of German Catholics' incomes - was only paying each survivor an average of £2,600 as a 'recognition fee'.

He said: 'The Church paid me a recognition fee of 5,000 euros, he said. 'They don't call it compensation. And I don't call it compensation either.'

'They call it a recognition fee? Well, thank you very much, but that's not what I want. I want justice.'

Referring to a damning report last August by a US grand jury on sexual abuse of children by priests in Pennsylvania over a 70-year period, he noted that the incidents of abuse diminished toward the end of the years covered in the report.

'In more recent times the number went down because the Church realised that it had to fight in a different way,' he said.

'Look at the proportions (in the Pennsylvania report) and you will see that when the Church started becoming aware of this, it spared no effort,' he said.

Pope Francis, in his Popemobile, greets the crowd as he arrives at the Liberty Square

Pope Francis (pictured in Estonia today) admitted that sexual abuse scandals are driving faithful people away from the Catholic Church - as a report revealed 3,700 children were assaulted in Germany

He added: 'Priests are supposed to take children to God, not to destroy them.' If just one priest abuses a child, it's monstrous.' The Catholic Church has been rocked by a fresh wave of devastating claims of sexual abuse committed by clergy across the globe.

Scandals in Australia, Europe, and North and South America have involved widespread claims of abuse - and cover-ups - by clergymen and lay members with one Vatican archbishop describing it as the church's 'own 9/11'.

But the pope declined to answer a question about a damning report released in Germany on Tuesday showing that almost 3,700 minors - mostly boys - were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

Vatican cardinal slams Pope as an 'ice-cold, cunning Machiavellian'

Pope Francis has been branded an 'ice-cold, cunning Machiavellian' and a 'liar' by one of his cardinals, a German magazine reports.

The anonymous cardinal made the comments in a bombshell interview with Der Spiegel for its 19-page report on the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal.

He said: 'The pope preaches mercy, but in reality he is an ice-cold, cunning Machiavellian, and, what is worse – he lies.'

The cardinal was referring to claims that Francis knew about sexual abuse allegations against US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick long before he admitted he was aware of them or took any action.

Pope Francis has been called an 'ice-cold, cunning Machiavellian' and a 'liar' by one of his cardinals who spoke to German magazine Der Spiegel (pictured is the front cover)

A report from a high-ranking cardinal in August claimed the pope knew about McCarrick in 2013 - but still employed him as a consultant in naming new American bishops until his resignation in July this year.

The pope declined to comment.

The report was the main item in this week's Der Siegel magazine which featured a picture of the pope on the front and was titled Du Sollst Nicht Lügen (Thou Shalt Not Lie).

The report criticised the pope's handling of abuse allegations generally, stating: 'He often speaks at inopportune moments, yet in important moments remains silent.'

The German Catholic Church apologised for the abuse, saying the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

But campaigners and victims have been left furious by 'ridiculous' payouts.

Matthias Katsch, who was sexually abused when he was 13, said he was outraged that the German Church - the richest in the world because it takes eight per cent of German Catholics' incomes - was only paying each survivor an average of £2,600 as a 'recognition fee'.

He said: 'The Church paid me a recognition fee of 5,000 euros, he said. 'They don't call it compensation. And I don't call it compensation either.'

'They call it a recognition fee? Well, thank you very much, but that's not what I want. I want justice.'